Armenian prime minister Serzh Sargsyan resigns after mass protests

Soldiers joined 300,000 protesters on the streets of the capital yesterdayVAHRAM BAGHDASARYAN/EPA

The prime minister of Armenia has unexpectedly resigned after his attempt to cling to power by rewriting the constitution led to massive protests that paralysed the former Soviet state.

Serzh Sargsyan, 63, stepped down yesterday hours after scores of unarmed soldiers in uniform joined an estimated 300,000 anti-government protesters in Yerevan, the Armenian capital.

“The street movement is against my tenure. I am fulfilling your demand,” Mr Sargsyan, a pro-Moscow politician, said in a statement. His resignation came on the 11th consecutive day of protests that were headed by Nikol Pashinyan, the opposition leader. Large demonstrations also took place on Sunday and yesterday in Gyumri, Armenia’s second biggest city.

Mr Pashinyan, 43, was one of about 200 people detained on Sunday as riot police struggled…

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